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only see her "white dress shining. He
went softly toward her.
"Dearest," he4 whispered, taking
her by the hands, "I love you. Will
you be my wife?"
"Yes," she whispered, and pressed
her lips to his. And then he found
himself looking into Edith's dark
eyes.
It was well for his training that he
had been schooled in a difficult world.
He did not start or betray himself.
He linked her arm through his and
they started back toward the house
together.
And, at the door, stood Madge and
Carter.
"Aren't you coming out ?"
Carter began, and then the sight of
Lessing's face checked him.
"I want to tell you all," said Less
ing, "that Edith has promised to be
my wife."
He kissed her a.gain at the foot of
the stairs and went up to his room.
He sat for hours in his chair, think
ing. All the rules of his breeding
told him that the mistake must never
be acknowledged. To ask a woman
Jo be one's wife and then to jilt her
was an unpardonable offense in his
code. He knew Edith had always
cared.a little for him in the old days
there had been a little jealousy be
tween the girls on that account. But
the thought of Madge and what he
had lost, the look of surprise upon
her face at the announcement
these things made life seem intoler
able. And Edith loved him! There
was no possibility of misunderstand
ing what that expression had meant
when she kissed him.
A man who lives by a code is
bound with silken threads stronger
than steel. Lessing knew that there
was no way out of the entaglement
with honor.
He washe first down in the morn
ing, but after he had paced the
grounds for a few minutes, Carter
joined him.
"I didn't have much chance to con
gratulate lasfnightLh, said, offer-,
lng his hand. "It's odd, isn't it?" he
continued, with a short laugh. "Do
you know, I always thought it was
Madge you cared for?"
Lessing tore himself away, be
cause he could not trust himself to
speak.
As he entered the breakfast room,
Madge passed hinf They stopped
and looked at each other for an in
stant. There were dark rings under
her eyes, and she looked worn and
haggard. Then she inclined her
head slowly and was about to pass
him.
"Madge!" cried Lessing, suddenly.
He touched her arm. "Won't you
come here a moment?" he asked
drawing her toward the door.
"Madge! I thought ' "
She tried to pass him, but he
blocked the way. She was crying
she could not-restrain herself.
"Don't!" he pleaded and suddenly
he was holding her in his arms and
kissing her as he had done so often
in his "dreams, but had never done in
reality.
She lay in his arms without resist
ing, and it was fully a minute before
she could get her voice. $
"Why why ?" she stammered.
"It was you, Madge," he cried des
perately. "I thought that Edith was
you. It was quite dark, and you both
wore white dresses. I thought that
you knew, and that you had gone
there to wait for me."
"You thought it was I?" she ex
claimed, looking up at him with star
ing eyes.
"I made a mad mistake which I
must atone for the rest of my life,"
he answered. "Edith loves me, and
she thinks I loveher. You remember
the old days? This must be good-by,
Madge, forever, my dear."
A silvery laugh from the breakfast
room startled them. They spun
round, to see Editli standing there.
"I couldn't help hearing you," she
said, laughing happily. "0, Arthur,
how foolish we. both, were-!- I coukj
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